The Cyclical Nature Of Life In Walt Whitman's A Song Of Myself
Two Poets, One Idea
Walt Whitman and Donald Hall--These names incite a sense of excitement in almost every individual who enjoys poetry. The two American poets hail from different time periods, different backgrounds, and different lifestyles that have led to different experiences. However, despite their differences, the two poets appear to be very similar upon analyzing their works. “A Song of Myself” by Whitman and “My Son My Executioner” by Hall are poems that portray their fascination with the same theme – the cyclical nature of life. Another similarity that exists between the two poets is they both portray their views through utilizing examples from nature. In “A Song of Myself,” Whitman uses grass to highlight the cyclical nature of life, …show more content…
Upon analyzing the works of Donald Hall and Walt Whitman, one can acknowledge that the two poets share a common admiration for the cyclical nature of life and both express their …show more content…
In these lines, Hall shows that there is timelessness to the cycle of the leaves. Every spring they sprout, and every autumn they fall. However, the leaves become a part of a timeless story, and each year, they help make new memories. Hall expresses the continuity of the leaves’ stories in the final stanza when he says,
“Now I leap and fall, exultant and recovering
From death, on account of death, in accord with the dead,
The smell and taste of leaves again
And the pleasure, the only long pleasure, of taking a place
In the story of the leaves” (Hall, Stanza 7). Through analyzing Walt Whitman’s “A Song of Myself” and Donald Hall’s “My Son My Executioner” and “Kicking the Leaves”, one can truly develop a sense of appreciation for the two poets. Both poets express the same wonder and awe for the cyclical nature of life, and both poets manage to relate this theme to nature. Whitman and Hall have proved to the world that the cyclical nature of life is a theme worth understanding, and both poets have successfully ignited their fascination with this theme in their
Walt Whitman and Donald Hall--These names incite a sense of excitement in almost every individual who enjoys poetry. The two American poets hail from different time periods, different backgrounds, and different lifestyles that have led to different experiences. However, despite their differences, the two poets appear to be very similar upon analyzing their works. “A Song of Myself” by Whitman and “My Son My Executioner” by Hall are poems that portray their fascination with the same theme – the cyclical nature of life. Another similarity that exists between the two poets is they both portray their views through utilizing examples from nature. In “A Song of Myself,” Whitman uses grass to highlight the cyclical nature of life, …show more content…
Upon analyzing the works of Donald Hall and Walt Whitman, one can acknowledge that the two poets share a common admiration for the cyclical nature of life and both express their …show more content…
In these lines, Hall shows that there is timelessness to the cycle of the leaves. Every spring they sprout, and every autumn they fall. However, the leaves become a part of a timeless story, and each year, they help make new memories. Hall expresses the continuity of the leaves’ stories in the final stanza when he says,
“Now I leap and fall, exultant and recovering
From death, on account of death, in accord with the dead,
The smell and taste of leaves again
And the pleasure, the only long pleasure, of taking a place
In the story of the leaves” (Hall, Stanza 7). Through analyzing Walt Whitman’s “A Song of Myself” and Donald Hall’s “My Son My Executioner” and “Kicking the Leaves”, one can truly develop a sense of appreciation for the two poets. Both poets express the same wonder and awe for the cyclical nature of life, and both poets manage to relate this theme to nature. Whitman and Hall have proved to the world that the cyclical nature of life is a theme worth understanding, and both poets have successfully ignited their fascination with this theme in their